Interview Skills for Students: From CV to Confident Answers

An interview can be a very scary and a very stressful experience. You might feel like you are not good enough, or you might have a hard time answering the questions. But what if I told you that an interview is not a test? An interview is a conversation. And just like any conversation, you can be prepared for it.

Interview skills are the key to your future. They are the skills and the qualities that you need to show a company that you are the right person for the job. A student who has good interview skills is a student who is more likely to be a good communicator, a good problem-solver, and a good leader. In this article, we will take a deep dive into interview skills for students. We will give you a simple and effective three-step plan to help you feel confident and prepared for any interview, from your first CV to your first job.

What Are Interview Skills? The Key to Your Future

Interview skills are the skills and the qualities that you need to do well in an interview. They are a mix of what you know (your education and your experience) and who you are (your personality and your habits). A person who has good interview skills is a person who is able to show a company that they are a good fit for the job.

Interview skills can help you in a few key ways:

• The First Impression: Your interview is your first impression with a company. You have to make a good one.
• The Conversation: An interview is a conversation. A person who has good interview skills is a person who is able to have a good conversation.
• The Confidence: A person who is well-prepared for an interview is a person who is more confident. You know that you have done all the work, and you are ready for any question that comes your way.

The tips that we will talk about are not a magic trick. They are a set of simple things that you can do to be more confident and more prepared.

Part 1: The Preparation (Before the Interview)

The interview is not just about what you do in the interview room. It is about what you do before you even get there. The preparation is the key to a good interview.

Tip 1: The CV (Your First Impression)

Your CV (Curriculum Vitae) or resume is your first impression with a company. It is a document that tells a company about your education, your skills, and your experience. A good CV is clear, it is organized, and it is easy to read.

To write a good CV, you should:

• Be clear and simple. You should not use a lot of fancy words. You should use simple words that are easy to understand.
• Be concise. A CV should not be a long document. It should be a short summary of your skills and your experience.
• Highlight your achievements. You should highlight your achievements in school and in your other activities. For example, you can write, “I was the leader of a club” or “I got a good grade in a difficult class.”
• Proofread. You should read your CV a few times to make sure that it is free from mistakes. A mistake in your CV can make a company think that you are not serious about the job.

Tip 2: Research the Company and the Job

Before you go to an interview, you should do your homework. You should research the company and the job.

• Research the company: You should know what the company does, what their values are, and what their goals are. You can look at the company’s website or their social media.
• Research the job: You should know what the job is about. You should know what the responsibilities are and what the skills are that are needed. You can look at the job description.

When you do your homework, you can ask good questions in the interview, and you can show the company that you are serious about the job.

Tip 3: Prepare Your Answers

In an interview, you will be asked a lot of questions. You should prepare your answers. You should not memorize your answers, but you should have a good idea of what you want to say.

You should prepare answers to common interview questions, like:

• “Tell me about yourself.”
• “What are your strengths and your weaknesses?”
• “Why do you want to work for us?”
• “Why are you the right person for this job?”

The best way to prepare your answers is to use the “STAR” method that we will talk about later.

Tip 4: Dress for Success

Your clothes are a part of your first impression. You should dress well for an interview. The way you dress should be a way to show a company that you are serious about the job. You should not wear clothes that are too casual. You should wear clothes that are clean, professional, and that fit you well.

Part 2: The Interview (The Main Event)

The interview is the main event. This is your chance to shine.

Tip 5: Be on Time

You should be on time for an interview. In fact, you should be a little early. Being on time shows that you are professional and that you are serious about the job.

Tip 6: The First Impression

The first few minutes of an interview are the most important. You should have a good first impression. You should have a firm handshake, you should look the interviewer in the eye, and you should have a smile. This will show the interviewer that you are confident and that you are a good person to talk to.

Tip 7: The “STAR” Method (For Confident Answers)

The “STAR” method is a great way to answer interview questions. It is a way to tell a story about your experience. The four parts of the method are:

• Situation: You talk about a situation that you were in.
• Task: You talk about the task that you had to do.
• Action: You talk about the action that you took.
• Result: You talk about the result of your action.

For example, if you are asked about a time you had a problem, you can use the STAR method to tell a story about it. You can talk about the problem, the task you had to do, the action you took, and the result. This method is a great way to give a confident and a detailed answer.

Tip 8: Ask Good Questions

At the end of an interview, you will be asked if you have any questions. You should always have a few questions ready. Asking questions shows that you are interested in the job and that you have done your homework.

You can ask questions like:

• “What is a typical day like in this job?”
• “What are the biggest challenges of this job?”
• “What are the opportunities for a person to grow in this company?”

Tip 9: The Power of Body Language

Your body language can say a lot about you. You should have a good body language in an interview. You should sit up straight, you should not slouch, and you should not cross your arms. You should also look at the interviewer in the eye and you should have a smile. This will show the interviewer that you are confident and that you are a good person to work with.

Part 3: The Follow-Up (After the Interview)

The interview is not over after you leave the room. The follow-up is just as important.

Tip 10: The Thank You Note

You should always send a thank-you note after an interview. A thank-you note is a way to show a company that you are professional and that you are serious about the job. You can send a thank-you note in an email. It should be short, it should be polite, and it should thank the interviewer for their time.

The Most Important Thing: Be Yourself

The most important thing in an interview is to be yourself. You should not try to be someone you are not. A company wants to hire a person who is honest and who is authentic. They want to hire a person who is a good fit for the job and for the company’s culture. You should believe in yourself and you should show the company who you are.

Conclusion

Interview skills are a crucial part of a student’s life. They are the key to your future. By preparing your CV, researching the company, and preparing your answers with the “STAR” method, you can feel more confident and more prepared for any interview. You should also remember to have a good first impression, to ask good questions, and to send a thank-you note. With these skills, you can ace your first interview and get your first job with confidence.